Beginning

• The first US Open was in 1881 and featured only men's singles and doubles. It was held at the Newport Casino in Newport, R.I. The tournament stayed there for 34 years and only allowed clubs that were members of the U.S. National Lawn Tennis Association. The first U.S. Women's National Singles Championship was held at the Philadelphia Cricket Club in 1887, and the Women's Doubles Championship began in 1889. The Mixed Doubles Championship was introduced in 1892 and played simultaneously with the women's singles and women's doubles events.
  
  

The Open Era

• All five of the events came together in 1968 when the Open Era, which allowed amateurs and professionals to both compete in the world-class tournaments, was introduced. It was held at the West Side Tennis Club at Forest Hills, N.Y., until 1978, when it moved to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
  
  

The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center

• The facility currently has 22 courts, including the Louis Armstrong Stadium and Arthur Ashe Stadium and 11 in the adjoining park. The Louis Armstrong Stadium has a capacity of 10,200 and was the main court on site until the Arthur Ashe Stadium, which has a capacity of 22,547, was opened in 1997.
  
  

Surface

• The tournament has been played on each of the three major surfaces: it was played on grass from 1881 to 1974, on clay from 1975 to 1977 and on a hard-court (DecoTurf) surface from 1978 until now.
  
  

Notable Women's Records

• The record for most U.S. Open singles titles is currently held by Molla B. Mallory, who won the tournament eight times. The United States, as a country, has won the most titles--89 titles by 36 women. The next closest countries are Australia and Germany, who are both represented by a single woman, Margaret Smith Court and Steffi Graf, respectively.
  
  

Notable Men's Records

• Players from the United States have taken the most titles at the event, with 85 titles won by 36 men. Australia is second with a18 titles won by 11 men. Switzerland, represented by only Roger Federer, is third, having won five titles. Bill Tilden holds the record for most appearances in singles finals, having played in 10 finals matches. Bill Larned, Tilden and Richard Sears all are tied for the record of most championships won, each having won seven.